lín xuān méi yǒu wèi bǔ xiān zhī zhī shù ， shù qiān wàn lǐ zhī wài fā shēng le shén me zì rán bìng bù xiǎo de ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā zhèng xuán fú zài bàn kōng ， liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn chén yín zhī sè 。
林轩没有未卜先知之术，数千万里之外发生了什么自然并不晓得，此时此刻，他正悬浮在半空，脸上露出几分沉吟之色。
Lin Xuan did not possess the ability to foresee the future. He naturally had no idea what was happening millions of miles away at this moment. At present, he was hovering in mid-air with a thoughtful expression on his face.
ér zài nà tiān biān jí yuǎn zhī chù ， yǐn yǐn yuē yuē yǒu yī jù dà chéng chí de lún kuò 。
而在那天边极远之处，隐隐约约有一巨大城池的轮廓。
In the distance, a vague outline of a large city could be seen on the horizon.
jīng guò shù rì de fēi xíng ， lín xuān zhōng yú cóng nà mò shí huāng yuán zhōng chū lái le 。
经过数日的飞行，林轩终于从那墨石荒原中出来了。
After several days of flying, Lin Xuan finally emerged from the desolate black stone plains.
wàng zhuó yǎn qián de chéng chí ， lín xuān liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng fù zá yǐ jí 。
望着眼前的城池，林轩脸上的表情复杂以极。
Looking at the city before him, Lin Xuan's expression was extremely complex.
zhè yě shì nán guài de ， jǐn guǎn yǒu fǎng mó dān tūn fú ， rán ér cǐ shí cǐ kè ， bì jìng shì zài yì jiè lái zhe ， tū rán yào shēn rù dào gǔ mó de jù jū zhī suǒ ， yào shuō yì diǎn jì dàn yě méi yǒu nà shì bù kě néng de 。
这也是难怪的，尽管有仿魔丹吞服，然而此时此刻，毕竟是在异界来着，突然要深入到古魔的聚居之所，要说一点忌惮也没有那是不可能的。
It was understandable. Although he had consumed a仿魔丹 (Sorcerer Pill) to enhance his abilities, this was still in an unfamiliar world. Suddenly having to delve into the ancient demons' habitat, it was impossible for him not to feel some apprehension.
xīn lǐ shàng ， duō shǎo dōu yǒu yì diǎn zhàng ài xū yào kè fú 。
心理上，多少都有一点障碍需要克服。
There were psychological barriers that needed to be overcome.
rán ér lín xuān bì jìng bú shì pǔ tōng de xiū xiān zhě ， shēn shēn hū xī ， hěn kuài jiù jiāng nà jǐn zhāng yǔ bù ān píng xī le xià qù ， shì fú bú shì huò ， shì huò duǒ bù guò ， zì jǐ yào zài cǐ jiè dài shàng liǎng bǎi nián zhī jiǔ ， hái yào xún zhǎo liàn zhì fēn shén dān de bǎo wù ， yòu zěn me kě néng bù yǔ gǔ mó dǎ jiāo dào ne ？
然而林轩毕竟不是普通的修仙者，深深呼吸，很快就将那紧张与不安平息了下去，是福不是祸，是祸躲不过，自己要在此界待上两百年之久，还要寻找炼制分神丹的宝物，又怎么可能不与古魔打交道呢？
However, Lin Xuan was no ordinary cultivator. After taking a deep breath, he quickly calmed his nervousness and unease. "Fortune or misfortune, I cannot avoid it," he thought. "I will stay in this world for two hundred years and need to find the ingredients for the spirit-splitting pill. How can I possibly avoid dealing with ancient demons?"
pà jiě jué bù liǎo wèn tí ， lín xuān huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng xiàng yǎn qián de chéng chí fēi qù 。
怕解决不了问题，林轩化为一道惊虹像眼前的城池飞去。
With a sense of resolve, Lin Xuan transformed into a streak of lightning and flew towards the city.
xiū wèi yī jiù shì yuán yīng qī ， nà yàng bù zěn me yǐn rén zhù yì 。
修为依旧是元婴期，那样不怎么引人注意。
His cultivation level was still at the元婴期 (Yinling Stage), which made him less conspicuous.
suí zhe jù lí chéng chí yuè lái yuè jìn ， tiān kōng zhōng de dùn guāng yě zhú jiàn zēng duō 。
随着距离城池越来越近，天空中的遁光也逐渐增多。
As he drew closer to the city, the number of flying lights in the sky increased.
lín xuān zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， lǐ miàn gǔ mó de xíng xiàng zì rán dōu yí gè bù luò de bèi tā kàn rù le yǎn zhōng ， dàng zhēn kě yòng wǔ huā bā mén lái xíng róng 。
林轩转过头颅，里面古魔的形象自然都一个不落的被他看入了眼中，当真可用五花八门来形容。
Lin Xuan turned his head, and all the ancient demons' faces were clearly visible on the rooftops. The sign above one building read "悦来客栈" (Joyful Inn).
yǒu shēn gāo shí zhàng de jù mó ， ér xiǎo de gǔ mó yǔ má què chà bu duō ， dāng rán yě bù fá zhǎng dé yǔ rén lèi xiū shì bié wú èr zhì de 。
有身高十丈的巨魔，而小的古魔与麻雀差不多，当然也不乏长得与人类修士别无二致的。
The name was quite fitting. On either side of the inn stood two female demons.
yì bān chū lín guì dì de xiū shì ， nà shì kěn dìng huì jīng dāi le ， hǎo zài lín xuān jiàn wén guǎng bó ， tiān yún shí èr zhōu jīng lì mó jié de shí hòu ， shén me xī qí gǔ guài de gǔ mó yě dōu jiàn guò ， gù ér hái néng bǎo chí yī fù dàn rán zhī sè 。
一般初临贵地的修士，那是肯定会惊呆了，好在林轩见闻广博，天云十二州经历魔劫的时候，什么稀奇古怪的古魔也都见过，故而还能保持一副淡然之色。
Their cultivation levels were negligible, only at the灵动期 (Lightness Stage).
yī lù wú shì ， hěn kuài yǐ jiē jìn le chéng chí ， liǎng zhě xiāng jù ， bù guò qiān zhàng yú 。
一路无事，很快已接近了城池，两者相距，不过千丈余。
"Welcome, senior," the two women greeted him with a charming smile and even threw a flirtatious glance his way. These demon females were much more bold than human ones.
yī gǔ jù dà de lì liàng ， háo wú zhēng zhào de fēng yōng ér zhì ， lā zhe zì jǐ xiàng xià zhuì luò ， lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， liǎn shàng háo wú yì sè 。
一股巨大的力量，毫无征兆的蜂拥而至，拉着自己向下坠落，林轩眉头一挑，脸上毫无异色。
However, Lin Xuan paid no attention to their antics and walked in expressionlessly.
shì jìn kōng jìn zhì ！
是禁空禁制！
Behind the counter was an elderly-looking demon, whose cultivation level was not weak, reaching the 凝丹期 (Condensation Core Stage). He immediately greeted Lin Xuan with a deep bow: "Greetings, senior. May I ask if you are here to stay?"
tà rù xiū xiān jiè zhè me jiǔ ， tā yòu qǐ huì méi yǒu jiàn shí ， zhǐ bù guò yǔ yǐ qián yù dào de xiāng bǐ ， yǎn qián jìn zhì de wēi lì tè bié bà dào le yī xiē 。
踏入修仙界这么久，他又岂会没有见识，只不过与以前遇到的相比，眼前禁制的威力特别霸道了一些。
"Yes," said Lin Xuan. "I plan to rent a cave dwelling for an extended period. Do you have any available rooms?"
dāng rán ， yǐ lín xuān de shí lì ， ruò yǒu xīn kàng jù ， cǐ jìn zhì tóng yàng ná tā méi zhé ， zhǐ néng shì xíng tóng xū shè ， rán ér lín xuān yòu qǐ huì zhè me zuò 。
当然，以林轩的实力，若有心抗拒，此禁制同样拿他没辙，只能是形同虚设，然而林轩又岂会这么做。
"Unfortunately, our inn does not offer cave dwellings. However, our guest rooms are of the highest quality and can match those in most caves. Would you like to see them?"
dī diào shì tā de yuán zé ， gèng hé kuàng cǐ shí cǐ kè ， gèng jǐn liàng bù néng yǐn rén zhǔ mù 。
低调是他的原则，更何况此时此刻，更尽量不能引人瞩目。
"Sure," said Lin Xuan, nodding without further ado: "Show me."
lín xuān yǔ pǔ tōng mó zú de fǎn yìng shì yī yàng de ， suí zhe nà lì liàng zhuì luò ， suí hòu bù xíng xiàng chéng mén zǒu qù le 。
林轩与普通魔族的反应是一样的，随着那力量坠落，随后步行像城门走去了。
"Follow me, senior."
hěn kuài jiù lái dào le chéng mén zhī cè ， zhěng zuò chéng chí kě yǐ shuō shì gāo dé lí pǔ ， zú yǒu shù qiān zhàng gāo ， dà de chéng chí lín xuān jiàn guò bù shǎo ， rán ér chéng qiáng xiū jiàn dé zhè me hóng wěi de hái zhēn bù duō ， huò xǔ shì gǔ mó de tè sè 。
很快就来到了城门之侧，整座城池可以说是高得离谱，足有数千丈高，大的城池林轩见过不少，然而城墙修建得这么宏伟的还真不多，或许是古魔的特色。
The elderly demon led him through a series of corridors until they arrived at a lighted screen.
lín xuān yī biān zài xīn zhōng fù fěi zhe ， yī biān zǒu jìn qù le 。
林轩一边在心中腹诽着，一边走进去了。
The light was so bright that it was difficult to discern what lay behind. The elderly demon took out a command token from his sleeve and waved it, causing the light to dim.
dà ， kuān kuò ， zhè shì lín xuān rù chéng hòu de dì yī yìn xiàng 。
大，宽阔，这是林轩入城后的第一印象。
A small courtyard appeared before their eyes.
lǐ miàn de jiàn zhù bù jú ， yǔ rén jiè ， líng jiè kě yǐ shuō shì wán quán bù tóng de ， chū yī kàn ， gěi rén de gǎn jué hěn shì sàn luò ， dàn zǐ xì guān chá ， huì fā xiàn sì hū yě yǒu yī xiē guī lǜ zài lǐ tou 。
里面的建筑布局，与人界，灵界可以说是完全不同的，初一看，给人的感觉很是散落，但仔细观察，会发现似乎也有一些规律在里头。
More accurately, it resembled an estate with pavilions, terraces, and flowing waterfalls. There was even a small lake where golden fish swam in clear waters.
dāng rán ， lín xuān kě méi yǒu xìng qù qù yán jiū 。
当然，林轩可没有兴趣去研究。
Lin Xuan's composure could not help but show some surprise. If he hadn't mentioned it, one might have thought he was staying at the residence of a wealthy family in the human world.
tā zhí jiē bì shàng shuāng móu ， jiāng qiáng dà yǐ jí de shén shí fàng chū ， hěn kuài jiù yǒu le shōu huò ， lín xuān xiàng mù dì dì zǒu qù le 。
他直接闭上双眸，将强大以极的神识放出，很快就有了收获，林轩像目的地走去了。
However, the deep demonic aura within reminded him that this was indeed the demon realm.
zhè yī liǎng nián ， zì jǐ méi yǒu shén me tè shū de shì qíng yào zuò ， lín xuān gěi zì jǐ dìng de jì huà shì shú xī gǔ mó 。
这一两年，自己没有什么特殊的事情要做，林轩给自己定的计划是熟悉古魔。
"Is everything to your satisfaction, senior? If you need anything else, we can provide servants and maids."
zhī jǐ zhī bǐ ， bǎi zhàn bù dài ， bì xū xiān róng rù gǔ mó jiè zhī zhōng ， suí hòu cái hǎo qù xún zhǎo bǎo wù 。
知己知彼，百战不殆，必须先融入古魔界之中，随后才好去寻找宝物。
"I don't need any attendants. I will take these guest rooms," said Lin Xuan.
zhè yě shì lín zǒu qián ， tài shàng zhǎng lǎo de jiàn yì ， lín xuān jué de hěn yǒu dào lǐ ， fǎn zhèng cǐ xíng de qī xiàn zú yǒu liǎng bǎi nián zhī jiǔ ， dān gē yī liǎng nián ， gēn běn jiù suàn bù liǎo shén me 。
这也是临走前，太上长老的建议，林轩觉得很有道理，反正此行的期限足有两百年之久，耽搁一两年，根本就算不了什么。
"How long do you plan to stay? The annual rent for a room here is one hundred pieces of lower-grade demon stones."
mó dāo bù wù kǎn chái gōng ， dà gài jiù shì zhè ge dào lǐ le 。
磨刀不误砍柴工，大概就是这个道理了。
"Can crystal stones be used?" asked Lin Xuan, frowning slightly.
chéng hěn dà ， yòu bù néng fēi ， gù ér lín xuān huā le zú zú xiǎo bàn gè shí chén de fū ， cái lái dào gāng gāng suǒ xún mì dào de jiàn zhù 。
城很大，又不能飞，故而林轩花了足足小半个时辰的夫，才来到刚刚所寻觅到的建筑。
"Certainly, the exchange ratio is two-to-one," replied the elderly demon with a surprised expression on his face before quickly continuing: "But that means you would need to provide two hundred pieces of crystal stone?"
tóng yàng shì guài mó guài yàng de ， bù guò zài jiàn zhù de dǐng duān ， guà zhe yī kuài pái biǎn ， yuè lái kè zhàn 。
同样是怪模怪样的，不过在建筑的顶端，挂着一块牌匾，悦来客栈。
"It's fine," said Lin Xuan. The cost was insignificant to him. He handed over two hundred pieces of crystal stone and placed them in the elderly demon's hand.
zhè ge míng zì dǎo shì bù cuò ， ér zài kè zhàn de liǎng páng ， hái yǒu liǎng míng mó nǚ zhàn lì zhe 。
这个名字倒是不错，而在客栈的两旁，还有两名魔女站立着。
"Thank you, senior. Please keep this command token safe. I bid you farewell."
bù guò xiū wèi bù zhí yī tí ， jǐn jǐn shì líng dòng qī 。
不过修为不值一提，仅仅是灵动期。
The elderly demon seemed quite pleased with the transaction and quickly turned around to leave. Lin Xuan entered the estate, which indeed had a pleasant environment, though he also set up several arrays to activate the restrictions himself.
“ huān yíng qián bèi guāng lín běn diàn 。” jiàn lín xuān guò lái ， liǎng nǚ máng yíng yíng yī fú ， chōng mǎn jiāo mèi de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zuǒ biān de yí gè ， shèn zhì hái chōng lín xuān pāo le yí gè mèi yǎn ， zhè xiē mó zú de nǚ zǐ ， dǎo shì bǐ rén zú de yào dà dǎn dé duō 。
“欢迎前辈光临本店。”见林轩过来，两女忙盈盈一拂，充满娇媚的声音传入耳朵，左边的一个，甚至还冲林轩抛了一个媚眼，这些魔族的女子，倒是比人族的要大胆得多。
He then went into his bedroom where everything was new. Lin Xuan slept soundly.
rán ér yōng zhī sú fěn ， lín xuān yòu qǐ huì kàn zài yǎn lǐ ， miàn wú biǎo qíng de zǒu le jìn qù 。
然而庸脂俗粉，林轩又岂会看在眼里，面无表情的走了进去。
It wasn't until the morning sun rose that Lin Xuan woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated.
guì tái hòu miàn de ， shì yī rén lèi lǎo zhě mú yàng de mó zú ， xiū wèi bù ruò ， yě yǒu níng dān qī le ， jiàn dào lín xuān ， lì kè yíng le shàng lái ， shēn shī yī lǐ ：“ gěi qián bèi jiàn lǐ ， gǎn wèn kě shì yào zhù diàn me ？”
柜台后面的，是一人类老者模样的魔族，修为不弱，也有凝丹期了，见到林轩，立刻迎了上来，深施一礼：“给前辈见礼，敢问可是要住店么？”
After leaving the inn, Lin Xuan intended to purchase some items.
“ bù cuò ， lín mǒu dǎ suàn cháng qī zū yī chù dòng fǔ ， bù zhī dào guì diàn kě yǒu ？”
“不错，林某打算长期租一处洞府，不知道贵店可有？”
---
“ dòng fǔ běn diàn zì rán shì méi yǒu de ， rán ér wǒ men tí gōng de kè fáng ， jué duì bù bǐ yì bān de dòng fǔ xùn sè ， qián bèi yào kàn kàn me ？”
“洞府本店自然是没有的，然而我们提供的客房，绝对不比一般的洞府逊色，前辈要看看么？”
The demon realm had many things different from the spirit realm. To avoid revealing his identity, he needed to make some preparations.
“ ń 。” lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， yě bù duō shuō ：“ dài lù 。”
“嗯。”林轩点点头，也不多说：“带路。”
The innkeeper's strange expression when he heard about using crystal stones yesterday was a reminder that luck might not always be on his side.
“ qián bèi qǐng gēn jìn le 。”
“前辈请跟进了。”
Therefore, for safety reasons, Lin Xuan decided to exchange part of his wealth into demon stones.
nà lǎo zhě yī biān shuō ， yī biān xiàng hòu zǒu qù ， piàn kè hòu ， jiù lái dào le yī piàn guāng mù de miàn qián 。
那老者一边说，一边向后走去，片刻后，就来到了一片光幕的面前。
Upon inquiry, there indeed was such an establishment.
nà guāng hěn shì yào mù ， lǐ miàn yǒu shén me jū rán kàn bù qīng chǔ ， lǎo zhě cóng yī xiù lǐ qǔ chū yī kuài lìng fú ， yī huǎng zhī xià guāng máng jiù àn dàn xià qù le 。
那光很是耀目，里面有什么居然看不清楚，老者从衣袖里取出一块令符，一晃之下光芒就黯淡下去了。
It was a pawnshop. As for why they accepted items used by cultivators, Lin Xuan didn't know. All that mattered was having somewhere to exchange them.
mó qì sàn kāi ， yī zuò xiǎo yuàn zi chū xiàn zài miàn qián 。
魔气散开，一座小院子出现在面前。
After inquiring about the location and spending a cup of tea's worth of time, Lin Xuan arrived at the shop.
huò zhě shuō chéng shì zhuāng yuán gèng jiā shì hé ， tíng tái lóu gé ， fēi liú pù bù ， shèn zhì hái yǒu yī tán xiǎo hú ， lǐ miàn de shuǐ pǒ wèi qīng chè ， shèn zhì yǒu jīn yú zài lǐ miàn liú dòng zhe 。
或者说成是庄园更加适合，亭台楼阁，飞流瀑布，甚至还有一潭小湖，里面的水颇为清澈，甚至有金鱼在里面流动着。
"Guest, what would you like to pawn?" The shopkeeper was a two-headed demon with pitch-black skin. His cultivation level was not weak, reaching the初期元婴 (Early Yinling Stage).
yǐ lín xuān de chéng fǔ ， liǎn shàng yě bù yóu de lù chū jǐ fēn yà sè ， rú guǒ bù shuō ， hái yǐ wéi zì jǐ shì zài rén jiè dà hù rén jiā zuò kè 。
以林轩的城府，脸上也不由得露出几分讶色，如果不说，还以为自己是在人界大户人家做客。
"I have some crystal stones that I wish to exchange for demon stones," said Lin Xuan expressionlessly. At this moment, he used the Shape Shifting Technique to transform into a monkey-faced demon with green skin.
bù guò zhuāng yuán zhōng nà yōu shēn de mó qì tí xǐng tā zhè shì zài mó jiè lái zhe 。
不过庄园中那幽深的魔气提醒他这是在魔界来着。
"Of course, the exchange ratio is two-to-one," the two-headed demon's voice echoed in his ears.
“ zěn me yàng ， qián bèi hái mǎn yì me ， rú guǒ nín yǒu xū yào ， běn diàn hái kě yǐ wèi nín pèi bèi xià rén shì nǚ de 。”
“怎么样，前辈还满意么，如果您有需要，本店还可以为您配备下人侍女的。”
In fact, from a practical standpoint, demon stones and crystal stones were essentially the same. The amount of demonic energy contained within a demon stone was roughly equivalent to the spiritual energy in a crystal stone. Therefore, an exchange ratio of one-to-one would be most reasonable. However, this was the demon realm, where crystal stones had limited use compared to demon stones. Thus, two-for-one was not unusual.
“ fú shì de rén jiù bù xū yào le ， zhè kè fáng wǒ dìng le 。”
“服侍的人就不需要了，这客房我定了。”
The cultivators who ascended to the demon realm after their bodies were infused with demonic energy and transformed into ancient demons naturally needed to exchange their human world crystal stones for demon stones.
“ bù zhī dào qián bèi dǎ suàn zhù duō jiǔ ne ， cǐ chù yī nián de zū jīn shì yì bǎi kuài xià pǐn mó shí 。”
“不知道前辈打算住多久呢，此处一年的租金是一百块下品魔石。”
A two-to-one ratio caused them great frustration as it halved their wealth. For Lin Xuan, this mattered little since he only intended to exchange a small portion.
“ jīng shí kě yǐ me ？” lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu de kāi kǒu 。
“晶石可以么？”林轩眉头一皱的开口。
"How many pieces of crystal stone do you have?" asked the shopkeeper.
“ jīng shí zì rán yě méi yǒu wèn tí ， bù guò àn zhào duì huàn bǐ lì ， yī nián jiù yào liǎng bǎi kuài cái kě ？” lǎo zhě de liǎn shàng xiān shì lù chū jīng yà zhī sè ， dàn hěn kuài jiù rú cǐ zhè bān de kāi kǒu le 。
“晶石自然也没有问题，不过按照兑换比例，一年就要两百块才可？”老者的脸上先是露出惊讶之色，但很快就如此这般的开口了。
Lin Xuan smiled slightly and waved his sleeve, sending a storage bag flying into the counter with a loud thud.
“ méi wèn tí 。”
“没问题。”
His action was extremely graceful. The two-headed demon initially paid no heed but when he picked up the storage bag and scanned its contents, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
zhè diǎn huā xiāo ， duō diǎn shǎo diǎn lín xuān dāng rán bú huì yǒu fēn háo zài yì ， qǔ chū liǎng bǎi kuài jīng shí ， jiāo dào lǎo zhě de shǒu lǐ 。
这点花销，多点少点林轩当然不会有分毫在意，取出两百块晶石，交到老者的手里。
He thought he had misread it but upon another glance, the result remained unchanged. His slack expression quickly turned to one of shock and reverence.
“ duō xiè qián bèi ， zhè lìng fú nín shōu hǎo ， wǎn bèi gào cí le 。”
“多谢前辈，这令符您收好，晚辈告辞了。”
Standing up: "I apologize for my rudeness. Please come inside; we will have a dedicated person attend to you."
zuò chéng yī bǐ shēng yì ， lǎo zhě de biǎo qíng pǒ wèi xīn xǐ ， hěn kuài jiù zhuǎn shēn chū qù ， lín xuān yě lái dào le zhuāng yuán lǐ ， lǐ miàn de huán jìng què rán bù cuò ， dāng rán ， chú le jiāng jìn zhì jī fā lín xuān zì jǐ yě bù xià jǐ tào zhèn qí 。
做成一笔生意，老者的表情颇为欣喜，很快就转身出去，林轩也来到了庄园里，里面的环境确然不错，当然，除了将禁制激发林轩自己也布下几套阵旗。
"Sure," said Lin Xuan, entering with no hesitation.
suí hòu lín xuān lái dào wò fáng lǐ ， chuáng bèi dōu shì xīn de ， lín xuān hū hū dà shuì qǐ lái 。
随后林轩来到卧房里，床被都是新的，林轩呼呼大睡起来。
The interior surprised him. Pawnshops often had an overpowering sense of greed, but the decor was quite elegant. The room wasn't large, yet it featured antique furniture and paintings hanging on the back wall.
zhí dào dì èr tiān cháo yáng chū shēng ， lín xuān cái qǐ chuáng ， shén qīng qì shuǎng 。
直到第二天朝阳初升，林轩才起床，神清气爽。
Sitting behind one such piece of furniture was a demon covered in scales, who looked anything but menacing. Instead, he appeared refined as he read a book intently.
suí hòu lín xuān chū le kè zhàn 。
随后林轩出了客栈。
Hearing footsteps, he turned his head, and the two-headed demon's voice entered Lin Xuan's ears: "Young Master, this guest wishes to exchange crystal stones. The amount is quite large, and I cannot make the decision alone..."
tā zhǔn bèi qù gòu zhì yī xiē dōng xī 。
他准备去购置一些东西。
"Oh?"
bì jìng mó jiè yǔ líng jiè yǒu hěn duō shì wù shì bù tóng de ， ruò bù xiǎng shēn fèn bào lù ， yī xiē zhǔn bèi kěn dìng dé zuò 。
毕竟魔界与灵界有很多事物是不同的，若不想身份暴露，一些准备肯定得做。
The young master's face showed interest: "Since you are a distinguished guest, let us offer some tea."
zuó tiān kè zhàn lǎo bǎn tīng shuō zì jǐ zhǔn bèi zhī fù jīng shí jiù lù chū yì diǎn qí guài de shén sè ， bù guò méi yǒu shēn xiǎng xià qù ， rán ér zì jǐ què wèi bì cì cì dōu yǒu zhè yàng de hǎo yùn qì 。
昨天客栈老板听说自己准备支付晶石就露出一点奇怪的神色，不过没有深想下去，然而自己却未必次次都有这样的好运气。
Before he could finish speaking, several enchanting female demons emerged with fine wine, fruits, and demon realm spiritual tea.
suǒ yǐ wéi le ān quán jì ， lín xuān jué dìng jiāng yī bù fèn shēn jiā ， duì huàn chéng mó shí 。
所以为了安全计，林轩决定将一部分身家，兑换成魔石。
"Please sit down."
yī dǎ tīng ， hái zhēn yǒu zhè yàng de suǒ zài 。
一打听，还真有这样的所在。
"Sure," said Lin Xuan, sitting on one of the chairs.
Lin Xuan did not possess the ability to foresee the future. He naturally had no idea what was happening millions of miles away at this moment. At present, he was hovering in mid-air with a thoughtful expression on his face.
In the distance, a vague outline of a large city could be seen on the horizon.
After several days of flying, Lin Xuan finally emerged from the desolate black stone plains.
Looking at the city before him, Lin Xuan's expression was extremely complex.
It was understandable. Although he had consumed a仿魔丹 (Sorcerer Pill) to enhance his abilities, this was still in an unfamiliar world. Suddenly having to delve into the ancient demons' habitat, it was impossible for him not to feel some apprehension.
There were psychological barriers that needed to be overcome.
However, Lin Xuan was no ordinary cultivator. After taking a deep breath, he quickly calmed his nervousness and unease. "Fortune or misfortune, I cannot avoid it," he thought. "I will stay in this world for two hundred years and need to find the ingredients for the spirit-splitting pill. How can I possibly avoid dealing with ancient demons?"
With a sense of resolve, Lin Xuan transformed into a streak of lightning and flew towards the city.
His cultivation level was still at the元婴期 (Yinling Stage), which made him less conspicuous.
As he drew closer to the city, the number of flying lights in the sky increased.
Lin Xuan turned his head, and all the ancient demons' faces were clearly visible on the rooftops. The sign above one building read "悦来客栈" (Joyful Inn).
The name was quite fitting. On either side of the inn stood two female demons.
Their cultivation levels were negligible, only at the灵动期 (Lightness Stage).
"Welcome, senior," the two women greeted him with a charming smile and even threw a flirtatious glance his way. These demon females were much more bold than human ones.
However, Lin Xuan paid no attention to their antics and walked in expressionlessly.
Behind the counter was an elderly-looking demon, whose cultivation level was not weak, reaching the 凝丹期 (Condensation Core Stage). He immediately greeted Lin Xuan with a deep bow: "Greetings, senior. May I ask if you are here to stay?"
"Yes," said Lin Xuan. "I plan to rent a cave dwelling for an extended period. Do you have any available rooms?"
"Unfortunately, our inn does not offer cave dwellings. However, our guest rooms are of the highest quality and can match those in most caves. Would you like to see them?"
"Sure," said Lin Xuan, nodding without further ado: "Show me."
"Follow me, senior."
The elderly demon led him through a series of corridors until they arrived at a lighted screen.
The light was so bright that it was difficult to discern what lay behind. The elderly demon took out a command token from his sleeve and waved it, causing the light to dim.
A small courtyard appeared before their eyes.
More accurately, it resembled an estate with pavilions, terraces, and flowing waterfalls. There was even a small lake where golden fish swam in clear waters.
Lin Xuan's composure could not help but show some surprise. If he hadn't mentioned it, one might have thought he was staying at the residence of a wealthy family in the human world.
However, the deep demonic aura within reminded him that this was indeed the demon realm.
"Is everything to your satisfaction, senior? If you need anything else, we can provide servants and maids."
"I don't need any attendants. I will take these guest rooms," said Lin Xuan.
"How long do you plan to stay? The annual rent for a room here is one hundred pieces of lower-grade demon stones."
"Can crystal stones be used?" asked Lin Xuan, frowning slightly.
"Certainly, the exchange ratio is two-to-one," replied the elderly demon with a surprised expression on his face before quickly continuing: "But that means you would need to provide two hundred pieces of crystal stone?"
"It's fine," said Lin Xuan. The cost was insignificant to him. He handed over two hundred pieces of crystal stone and placed them in the elderly demon's hand.
"Thank you, senior. Please keep this command token safe. I bid you farewell."
The elderly demon seemed quite pleased with the transaction and quickly turned around to leave. Lin Xuan entered the estate, which indeed had a pleasant environment, though he also set up several arrays to activate the restrictions himself.
He then went into his bedroom where everything was new. Lin Xuan slept soundly.
It wasn't until the morning sun rose that Lin Xuan woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated.
After leaving the inn, Lin Xuan intended to purchase some items.
---
The demon realm had many things different from the spirit realm. To avoid revealing his identity, he needed to make some preparations.
The innkeeper's strange expression when he heard about using crystal stones yesterday was a reminder that luck might not always be on his side.
Therefore, for safety reasons, Lin Xuan decided to exchange part of his wealth into demon stones.
Upon inquiry, there indeed was such an establishment.
It was a pawnshop. As for why they accepted items used by cultivators, Lin Xuan didn't know. All that mattered was having somewhere to exchange them.
After inquiring about the location and spending a cup of tea's worth of time, Lin Xuan arrived at the shop.
"Guest, what would you like to pawn?" The shopkeeper was a two-headed demon with pitch-black skin. His cultivation level was not weak, reaching the初期元婴 (Early Yinling Stage).
"I have some crystal stones that I wish to exchange for demon stones," said Lin Xuan expressionlessly. At this moment, he used the Shape Shifting Technique to transform into a monkey-faced demon with green skin.
"Of course, the exchange ratio is two-to-one," the two-headed demon's voice echoed in his ears.
In fact, from a practical standpoint, demon stones and crystal stones were essentially the same. The amount of demonic energy contained within a demon stone was roughly equivalent to the spiritual energy in a crystal stone. Therefore, an exchange ratio of one-to-one would be most reasonable. However, this was the demon realm, where crystal stones had limited use compared to demon stones. Thus, two-for-one was not unusual.
The cultivators who ascended to the demon realm after their bodies were infused with demonic energy and transformed into ancient demons naturally needed to exchange their human world crystal stones for demon stones.
A two-to-one ratio caused them great frustration as it halved their wealth. For Lin Xuan, this mattered little since he only intended to exchange a small portion.
"How many pieces of crystal stone do you have?" asked the shopkeeper.
Lin Xuan smiled slightly and waved his sleeve, sending a storage bag flying into the counter with a loud thud.
His action was extremely graceful. The two-headed demon initially paid no heed but when he picked up the storage bag and scanned its contents, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
He thought he had misread it but upon another glance, the result remained unchanged. His slack expression quickly turned to one of shock and reverence.
Standing up: "I apologize for my rudeness. Please come inside; we will have a dedicated person attend to you."
"Sure," said Lin Xuan, entering with no hesitation.
The interior surprised him. Pawnshops often had an overpowering sense of greed, but the decor was quite elegant. The room wasn't large, yet it featured antique furniture and paintings hanging on the back wall.
Sitting behind one such piece of furniture was a demon covered in scales, who looked anything but menacing. Instead, he appeared refined as he read a book intently.
Hearing footsteps, he turned his head, and the two-headed demon's voice entered Lin Xuan's ears: "Young Master, this guest wishes to exchange crystal stones. The amount is quite large, and I cannot make the decision alone..."
"Oh?"
The young master's face showed interest: "Since you are a distinguished guest, let us offer some tea."
Before he could finish speaking, several enchanting female demons emerged with fine wine, fruits, and demon realm spiritual tea.
"Please sit down."
"Sure," said Lin Xuan, sitting on one of the chairs.